Squandered resources!

[Joey Stewart]

I try not to go after anybody in the staffordshire territory (apart from a couple of ex warwickshire players who live up there now) and worcester struggle to get players anyway so I dont really want to bully them by poaching the little they do have - as I am going to have to be playing these counties most regularly, I like to keep on good terms with their captains.
I do, however, try and get any unaffiliated or new players in the birmingham league into my team if possible - this is just being proactive about recruitment rather then outright theivery.
Also, alot of my players play in the leamington league as well as birmingham, and that league falls well within my county boundaries.

Still, it tends to matter very little that I get a few extra 160-170s, not when you go up against the big northern or southern teams who will have bottom boards in the 180 area - its still quite a majo outgrading, and a big hill to climb whatever way you look at it.

[Jonathan Bryant]

Well if you were being paid that money to elevate you to an elite management status and to be a major asset to your country but, instead, jacked it in for a better opportunity then I think you damn well should be paying that money back - especially since it came out of my taxes!!

Back to the subject ...

Actually what I was saying IS the subject.

The point I was making is that it's actually the norm - not unusual - for people to be funded to undertake training and then work in other jobs or in the same job at other places. Sadler (chess), me (social work) - it's the same thing. I'd estimate about half of my class are still working in statutory social services (that's a bit of a guess to be honest but is probably about right). Similarly, rather few of Sadler's cohort of 'GMs in training' are still active players I suspect.

As for "Elite management status" - you seem to have a rosier view of my prospects than my erstwhile employers .

I would say however - and I hope you don't think this rude - that this very phrase of yours demonstrates you have no more understanding of the field of social work than you do about the chess world.

I'm glad you think a social worker might potentially be "a major asset" to the country though. A lot of days I'm not so sure.